Plinics Naturall Hiftorie. 



A to the Cheftnuc fhelL Among the very Acornesjibrhehave a fwemv taftihan othcrsirhefc- 

 maleOkebcarcth thole that bemore(bftand tender 5 the malejtougb j thickej andmaffiet and 

 the beft fimply are thofe that come of the broad-leafed Oke^ for fb it is called by i eafon of the 

 ^ large leaves. Morcover^there is another difference in maft a.nd acorns ^ fpr foine be bigger ihm 

 others 5 again^thetc arc that have thin & fine skins enclofing the kcrnell j and ye llialj find (nhers 

 for them as thicke skinned j likewife manyof them are covered with a rongh/and ruffie tLm;cki 

 and-as many againe do fhew immcdiatly their bare white skin and naked flelHe fubftance . Fur- 

 thcrmorCjthat maft is accounted good, which at both ends (takingit long-waies) growcih liard 

 in manner of a ftoncrhowbeit that which hath an hard fhellwiihoutjanda foftbodie within, is 

 better than that which is hardened in the carnous fubftance of the bodie 5 and lightly neither of 



B boththefe qualitieshappenethtoanyfeutthemalekind.Over andbefides^roipeyouiliallfind 

 fafhioned long like an egge ; others as round as a ball ; and a third fort fharpe pointed. The out- 

 ward colour alio yeeldeth varietie ; for fome be blacker than other^ but the whiter commonly be 

 the better fet by. Some are bitter toward the ends, and fweet in the mids. The length all^; S>: the 

 (hortnefle ofthe ftele or taile whereto they hang,maketh adiffercnce.Thc vcrytieeit lcjie caD- 

 feth diverfitie ofthe fruit :for that oke which beareth the biggefl; maftjis named iriemeris. A ftorr 

 tertreethis is than the reft, with a round headj and puttingfoortb many hollow armepiis (as it 

 were) of boughs and braunches. The wood or timber of the ordinarie and common Oke is 

 tougher and harder than that of others^ and lefle fubjed to putrefaction : full of arms 8^ boughs 

 it isjas the other, but it groweih taller and is thicker in the bodie. The highefl ot all, is the ^igi- 



C lopSj which loveth to grow in wild and defart places. Next to it for talnefle, is the broad jeuied 

 Oke, but the timber thereof is not fb good and profitablefor building,howibcv er it be emploicd 

 for to make charcole : yet being once fquared to that purpofe,& cleft, it is fubjeCtto the wui aie, 

 and will foone rot : and for this caufe, being in quarters^ they ufe not to make cole of it cloven, 

 but ofthe folid and round boughs or braunches thereof. And yet this kindof charcole lerveth 

 onely the Bloome-lmithies and furnaces 5 the hammer-mils alfo of brafle and coppcr-fniiths, 

 whome it flandeth in great good ftead andfaveththeramuchfewelljfor it burncihand confu- 

 meth no longer than the beilovtesgoe: let them leave blowing once, prcfenily the cole diethj 

 and fb it laft cth long : for at every new blafl it is renewed againe and refrefhed : otherwife it fpar- 

 kleth very much and yeeldeth many cinders. Butthe charcole made of yongtrees is the better. 



J) Now the manner of making them, is this :'when the wood is cut into many clefts & fplents, frefli 

 and green,they are heaped up on high,and holl6w,in manner of a furnace or chimney ,and then 

 well luted with clay in the top,and all about : wliich done, the pile of truncheons aforelaid,is fee 

 on fire within 5 and as the outward coat or cruf^ of clay beginneth to wax hard, the workenien 

 orcolliars pierce it with poles and pearches, and make divers holes therein far vent, and to let 

 out the finoakie vapour that doth fweat and breath from the wood. The worfi of all other lor 

 timber or cole, is the oke named Haliphleos 3 a thicke barkeitha:h, andasbiga bocie, but for 

 the » nofl part hollow and light like a fpunge or muilirome : and there is'not anothei befides it of 

 all thefe kind of trees, that rotteth as it ffandsalive . Befides,io unfortunate it is, that the light- 

 ning finiteth it, as low as it growethjfor none of them alfieth to any great height: which is the 



£ cauie that it is not lawfull to ufe the wood thereof about the burning of any facrifice . Seldome 

 beareth it any Acorns, and thofefew that it hath,be exceeding bitter, fo as no other beaft will 

 touch themjbutfwine again 5 nor they neither,butfor pure hunger, when they can meet with no 

 other food. Moreover^ in this regard alfo rejecf ed it is_j and not emploied in any religious uie,for 

 that without blowing at the wood and colethereof continually jit will not burne cleare and con- 

 fume the facrifice,but goeth out and lieth dead. 



Buttoreturneunto our mail; againe -.That of the Beech tree feedethfwine quickly, maketh 

 their flefh and lard faire and pleafant to the eye, tender to befoonefodden or rolled, hghtand 

 eafieoi digeftion,and good for the ffomacke. The maft ofthe Holme cauleth hogs to gather a 

 more faft and compad flefh, their bodies to be neat,llender3lanke3and ponderous. Acorns doQ 



p engender a ficfhic fublfance,more fquare andfpreading,and the fame alfo moft heavy ahd har- 

 deitofdigelhonjandyet they are of all other kinds of maft, moft fweet and pleafant. Next to 

 them in goodneffe (by the teltimonie of litgUms) is that of the tree Cerrus^ neither is there 

 bred of any other a courier flefh, howbeit hard it is^faftjand tough. As for the maft of llex,hogs 

 are cndaungered by eating thereof^ unlcflc it be given them warily by little and little . Hee faith 



Rr ij moreover. 



